My friend Poirot, exact to the minute as usual, was just tapping the shell of his second egg.
He beamed upon me as I entered.
“You have slept well, yes? You have recovered from the crossing so terrible? It is a marvel3, almost you are exact this morning. Pardon, but your tie is not symmetrical. Permit that I rearrange him.”
Elsewhere, I have described Hercule Poirot. An extraordinary little man! Height, five feet four inches, egg-shaped head carried a little to one side, eyes that shone green when he was excited, stiff military moustache, air of dignity immense! He was neat and dandified in appearance. For neatness of any kind, he had an absolute passion. To see an ornament5 set crooked6, or a speck7 of dust, or a slight disarray8 in one’s attire9, was torture to the little man until he could ease his feelings by remedying the matter. “Order” and “Method” were his gods. He had a certain disdain10 for tangible11 evidence, such as footprints and cigarette ash, and would maintain that, taken by themselves, they would never enable a detective to solve a problem. Then he would tap his egg-shaped head with absurd complacency, and remark with great satisfaction: “The true work, it is done from within. The little grey cells—remember always the little grey cells, mon ami!”
I slipped into my seat, and remarked idly, in answer to Poirot’s greeting, that an hour’s sea passage from Calais to Dover could hardly be dignified12 by the epithet13 “terrible.”
Poirot waved his egg-spoon in vigorous refutation of my remark.
“Du tout14! If for an hour one experiences sensations and emotions of the most terrible, one has lived many hours! Does not one of your English poets say that time is counted, not by hours, but by heart-beats?”
“I fancy Browning was referring to something more romantic than sea sickness, though.”
“Because he was an Englishman, an Islander to whom la Manche was nothing. Oh, you English! With nous autres it is different. Figure to yourself that a lady of my acquaintance at the beginning of the war fled to Ostend. There she had a terrible crisis of the nerves. Impossible to escape further except by crossing the sea! And she had a horror—mais une horreur!—of the sea! What was she to do? Daily les Boches were drawing nearer. Imagine to yourself the terrible situation!”
“Fortunately her husband was homme pratique. He was also very calm, the crises of the nerves, they affected16 him not. Il l’a emportée simplement! Naturally when she reached England she was prostrate17, but she still breathed.”
Poirot shook his head seriously. I composed my face as best I could.
“What is it?”
“This piece of toast. You remark him not?” He whipped the offender20 out of the rack, and held it up for me to examine.
“Is it square? No. Is it a triangle? Again no. Is it even round? No. Is it of any shape remotely pleasing to the eye? What symmetry have we here? None.”
“It’s cut from a cottage loaf,” I explained soothingly21.
“What an intelligence has my friend Hastings!” he exclaimed sarcastically23. “Comprehend you not that I have forbidden such a loaf—a loaf haphazard24 and shapeless, that no baker25 should permit himself to bake!”
I endeavoured to distract his mind.
“Anything interesting come by the post?”
Poirot shook his head with a dissatisfied air.
“I have not yet examined my letters, but nothing of interest arrives nowadays. The great criminals, the criminals of method, they do not exist. The cases I have been employed upon lately were banal26 to the last degree. In verity27 I am reduced to recovering lost lap-dogs for fashionable ladies! The last problem that presented any interest was that intricate little affair of the Yardly diamond, and that was—how many months ago, my friend?”
He shook his head despondently28, and I roared with laughter.
“Cheer up, Poirot, the luck will change. Open your letters. For all you know, there may be a great Case looming29 on the horizon.”
Poirot smiled, and taking up the neat little letter opener with which he opened his correspondence he slit30 the tops of the several envelopes that lay by his plate.
“A bill. Another bill. It is that I grow extravagant31 in my old age. Aha! a note from Japp.”
“Yes?” pricked32 up my ears. The Scotland Yard Inspector33 had more than once introduced us to an interesting case.
“He merely thanks me (in his fashion) for a little point in the Aberystwyth Case on which I was able to set him right. I am delighted to have been of service to him.”
“How does he thank you?” I asked curiously, for I knew my Japp.
“He is kind enough to say that I am a wonderful sport for my age, and that he was glad to have had the chance of letting me in on the case.”
This was so typical of Japp, that I could not forbear a chuckle34. Poirot continued to read his correspondence placidly35.
“A suggestion that I should give a lecture to our local boy scouts36. The Countess of Forfanock will be obliged if I will call and see her. Another lap-dog without doubt! And now for the last. Ah—”
I looked up, quick to notice the change of tone. Poirot was reading attentively37. In a minute he tossed the sheet over to me.
“This is out of the ordinary, mon ami. Read for yourself.”
The letter was written on a foreign type of paper, in a bold characteristic hand:
Merlinville-sur-Mer
France
“Dear Sir,
“I am in need of the services of a detective and, for reasons which I will give you later, do not wish to call in the official police. I have heard of you from several quarters, and all reports go to show that you are not only a man of decided39 ability, but one who also knows how to be discreet40. I do not wish to trust details to the post, but, on account of a secret I possess, I go in daily fear of my life. I am convinced that the danger is imminent41, and therefore I beg that you will lose no time in crossing to France. I will send a car to meet you at Calais, if you will wire me when you are arriving. I shall be obliged if you will drop all cases you have on hand, and devote yourself solely42 to my interests. I am prepared to pay any compensation necessary. I shall probably need your services for a considerable period of time, as it may be necessary for you to go out to Santiago, where I spent several years of my life. I shall be content for you to name your own fee.
“Assuring you once more that the matter is urgent,
“Yours faithfully
“P. T. RENAULD.”
I handed the letter back with quickened pulses.
“At last!” I said. “Here is something distinctly out of the ordinary.”
“Yes, indeed,” said Poirot meditatively45.
“You will go of course,” I continued.
Poirot nodded. He was thinking deeply. Finally he seemed to make up his mind, and glanced up at the clock. His face was very grave.
“See you, my friend, there is no time to lose. The Continental46 express leaves Victoria at 11 o’clock. Do not agitate47 yourself. There is plenty of time. We can allow ten minutes for discussion. You accompany me, n’est-ce pas?”
“Well—”
“You told me yourself that your employer needed you not for the next few weeks.”
“Oh, that’s all right. But this Mr. Renauld hints strongly that his business is private.”
“Ta-ta-ta. I will manage M. Renauld. By the way, I seem to know the name?”
“There’s a well-known South American millionaire fellow. His name’s Renauld. I don’t know whether it could be the same.”
“But without doubt. That explains the mention of Santiago. Santiago is in Chile, and Chile it is in South America! Ah, but we progress finely.”
“Dear me, Poirot,” I said, my excitement rising, “I smell some goodly shekels in this. If we succeed, we shall make our fortunes!”
“Do not be too sure of that, my friend. A rich man and his money are not so easily parted. Me, I have seen a well-known millionaire turn out a tramful of people to seek for a dropped halfpenny.”
I acknowledged the wisdom of this.
“In any case,” continued Poirot, “it is not the money which attracts me here. Certainly it will be pleasant to have carte blanche in our investigations48; one can be sure that way of wasting no time, but it is something a little bizarre in this problem which arouses my interest. You remarked the postscript49? How did it strike you?”
I considered.
“Clearly he wrote the letter keeping himself well in hand, but at the end his self-control snapped and, on the impulse of the moment, he scrawled those four desperate words.”
But my friend shook his head energetically.
“You are in error. See you not that while the ink of the signature is nearly black, that of the postscript is quite pale?”
“Well?” I said puzzled.
“Mon Dieu, mon ami, but use your little grey cells! Is it not obvious? M. Renauld wrote his letter. Without blotting50 it, he reread it carefully. Then, not on impulse, but deliberately51, he added those last words, and blotted52 the sheet.”
“But why?”
“Parbleu! so that it should produce the effect upon me that it has upon you.”
“What?”
“Mais, oui—to make sure of my coming! He reread the letter and was dissatisfied. It was not strong enough!”
He paused, and then added softly, his eyes shining with that green light that always betokened53 inward excitement: “And so, mon ami, since that postscript was added, not on impulse, but soberly, in cold blood, the urgency is very great, and we must reach him as soon as possible.”
“Merlinville,” I murmured thoughtfully. “I’ve heard of it, I think.”
Poirot nodded.
“It is a quiet little place—but chic54! It lies about midway between Bolougne and Calais. It is rapidly becoming the fashion. Rich English people who wish to be quiet are taking it up. M. Renauld has a house in England, I suppose?”
“Yes, in Rutland Gate, as far as I remember. Also a big place in the country, somewhere in Hertfordshire. But I really know very little about him, he doesn’t do much in a social way. I believe he has large South American interests in the City, and has spent most of his life out in Chile and the Argentino.”
“Well, we shall hear all details from the man himself. Come, let us pack. A small suit-case each, and then a taxi to Victoria.”
“And the Countess?” I inquired with a smile.
“Ah! je m’en fiche! Her case was certainly not interesting.”
“Why so sure of that?”
“Because in that case she would have come, not written. A woman cannot wait—always remember that, Hastings.”
Eleven o’clock saw our departure from Victoria on our way to Dover. Before starting Poirot had despatched a telegram to Mr. Renauld giving the time of our arrival at Calais. “I’m surprised you haven’t invested in a few bottles of some sea sick remedy, Poirot,” I observed maliciously55, as I recalled our conversation at breakfast.
My friend, who was anxiously scanning the weather, turned a reproachful face upon me.
“Is it that you have forgotten the method most excellent of Laverguier? His system, I practise it always. One balances oneself, if you remember, turning the head from left to right, breathing in and out, counting six between each breath.”
“H’m,” I demurred56. “You’ll be rather tired of balancing yourself and counting six by the time you get to Santiago, or Buenos Ayres, or wherever it is you land.”
“Quelle idée! You do not figure to yourself that I shall go to Santiago?”
“Mr. Renauld suggests it in his letter.”
“He did not know the methods of Hercule Poirot. I do not run to and fro, making journeys, and agitating57 myself. My work is done from within—here—” he tapped his forehead significantly.
“It’s all very well, Poirot, but I think you are falling into the habit of despising certain things too much. A finger-print has led sometimes to the arrest and conviction of a murderer.”
“And has, without doubt, hanged more than one innocent man,” remarked Poirot dryly.
“But surely the study of finger-prints and footprints, cigarette ash, different kinds of mud, and other clues that comprise the minute observation of details—all these are of vital importance?”
“But certainly. I have never said otherwise. The trained observer, the expert, without doubt he is useful! But the others, the Hercules Poirots, they are above the experts! To them the experts bring the facts, their business is the method of the crime, its logical deduction59, the proper sequence and order of the facts; above all, the true psychology60 of the case. You have hunted the fox, yes?”
“I have hunted a bit, now and again,” I said, rather bewildered by this abrupt61 change of subject. “Why?”
“Eh bien, this hunting of the fox, you need the dogs, no?”
“Hounds,” I corrected gently. “Yes, of course.”
“But yet,” Poirot wagged his finger at me. “You did not descend62 from your horse and run along the ground smelling with your nose and uttering loud Ow Ows?”
In spite of myself I laughed immoderately. Poirot nodded in a satisfied manner.
“So. You leave the work of the d— hounds to the hounds. Yet you demand that I, Hercule Poirot, should make myself ridiculous by lying down (possibly on damp grass) to study hypothetical footprints, and should scoop63 up cigarette ash when I do not know one kind from the other. Remember the Plymouth Express mystery. The good Japp departed to make a survey of the railway line. When he returned, I, without having moved from my apartments, was able to tell him exactly what he had found.”
“So you are of the opinion that Japp wasted his time.”
“Not at all, since his evidence confirmed my theory. But I should have wasted my time if I had gone. It is the same with so called ‘experts.’ Remember the handwriting testimony64 in the Cavendish Case. One counsel’s questioning brings out testimony as to the resemblances, the defence brings evidence to show dissimilarity. All the language is very technical. And the result? What we all knew in the first place. The writing was very like that of John Cavendish. And the psychological mind is faced with the question ‘Why?’ Because it was actually his? Or because some one wished us to think it was his? I answered that question, mon ami, and answered it correctly.”
And Poirot, having effectually silenced, if not convinced me, leaned back with a satisfied air.
On the boat, I knew better than to disturb my friend’s solitude65. The weather was gorgeous, and the sea as smooth as the proverbial mill-pond, so I was hardly surprised to hear that Laverguier’s method had once more justified66 itself when a smiling Poirot joined me on disembarking at Calais. A disappointment was in store for us, as no car had been sent to meet us, but Poirot put this down to his telegram having been delayed in transit67.
“Since it is carte blanche, we will hire a car,” he said cheerfully. And a few minutes later saw us creaking and jolting68 along, in the most ramshackle of automobiles69 that ever plied70 for hire, in the direction of Merlinville.
My spirits were at their highest.
“What gorgeous air!” I exclaimed. “This promises to be a delightful71 trip.”
“For you, yes. For me, I have work to do, remember, at our journey’s end.”
“Bah!” I said cheerfully. “You will discover all, ensure this Mr. Renauld’s safety, run the would-be assassins to earth, and all will finish in a blaze of glory.”
“Yes, I feel absolutely assured of success. Are you not the one and only Hercule Poirot?”
But my little friend did not rise to the bait. He was observing me gravely.
“Nonsense. At any rate, you do not share my feelings.”
“No, but I am afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“I do not know. But I have a premonition—a je ne sais quoi!”
“I have a feeling,” he said slowly, “that this is going to be a big affair—a long, troublesome problem that will not be easy to work out.”
I would have questioned him further, but we were just coming into the little town of Merlinville, and we slowed up to inquire the way to the Villa Geneviève.
“Straight on, monsieur, through the town. The Villa Geneviève is about half a mile the other side. You cannot miss it. A big Villa, overlooking the sea.”
We thanked our informant, and drove on, leaving the town behind. A fork in the road brought us to a second halt. A peasant was trudging76 towards us, and we waited for him to come up to us in order to ask the way again. There was a tiny Villa standing77 right by the road, but it was too small and dilapidated to be the one we wanted. As we waited, the gate of it swung open and a girl came out.
The peasant was passing us now, and the driver leaned forward from his seat and asked for direction.
“The Villa Geneviève? Just a few steps up this road to the right, monsieur. You could see it if it were not for the curve.”
The chauffeur78 thanked him, and started the car again. My eyes were fascinated by the girl who still stood, with one hand on the gate, watching us. I am an admirer of beauty, and here was one whom nobody could have passed without remark. Very tall, with the proportions of a young goddess, her uncovered golden head gleaming in the sunlight, I swore to myself that she was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. As we swung up the rough road, I turned my head to look after her.
“By Jove, Poirot,” I exclaimed, “did you see that young goddess.”
“Ça commence!” he murmured. “Already you have seen a goddess!”
“But, hang it all, wasn’t she?”
“Possibly. I did not remark the fact.”
“Surely you noticed her?”
“Mon ami, two people rarely see the same thing. You, for instance, saw a goddess. I—” he hesitated.
“Yes?”
“I saw only a girl with anxious eyes,” said Poirot gravely.
But at that moment we drew up at a big green gate, and, simultaneously80, we both uttered an exclamation81. Before it stood an imposing82 sergent de ville. He held up his hand to bar our way.
“You cannot pass, monsieurs.”
“But we wish to see Mr. Renauld,” I cried. “We have an appointment. This is his Villa, isn’t it?”
“Yes, monsieur, but—”
Poirot leaned forward.
“But what?”
“M. Renauld was murdered this morning.”
点击收听单词发音
1 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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2 sitting-room | |
n.(BrE)客厅,起居室 | |
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3 marvel | |
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事 | |
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4 par | |
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的 | |
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5 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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6 crooked | |
adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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7 speck | |
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点 | |
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8 disarray | |
n.混乱,紊乱,凌乱 | |
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9 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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10 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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11 tangible | |
adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
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12 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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13 epithet | |
n.(用于褒贬人物等的)表述形容词,修饰语 | |
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14 tout | |
v.推销,招徕;兜售;吹捧,劝诱 | |
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15 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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16 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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17 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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18 stiffened | |
加强的 | |
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19 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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20 offender | |
n.冒犯者,违反者,犯罪者 | |
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21 soothingly | |
adv.抚慰地,安慰地;镇痛地 | |
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22 withering | |
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的 | |
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23 sarcastically | |
adv.挖苦地,讽刺地 | |
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24 haphazard | |
adj.无计划的,随意的,杂乱无章的 | |
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25 baker | |
n.面包师 | |
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26 banal | |
adj.陈腐的,平庸的 | |
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27 verity | |
n.真实性 | |
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28 despondently | |
adv.沮丧地,意志消沉地 | |
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29 looming | |
n.上现蜃景(光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼)v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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30 slit | |
n.狭长的切口;裂缝;vt.切开,撕裂 | |
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31 extravagant | |
adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的 | |
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32 pricked | |
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛 | |
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33 inspector | |
n.检查员,监察员,视察员 | |
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34 chuckle | |
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 | |
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35 placidly | |
adv.平稳地,平静地 | |
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36 scouts | |
侦察员[机,舰]( scout的名词复数 ); 童子军; 搜索; 童子军成员 | |
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37 attentively | |
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 | |
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38 villa | |
n.别墅,城郊小屋 | |
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39 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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40 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
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41 imminent | |
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的 | |
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42 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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43 scrawled | |
乱涂,潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44 illegible | |
adj.难以辨认的,字迹模糊的 | |
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45 meditatively | |
adv.冥想地 | |
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46 continental | |
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 | |
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47 agitate | |
vi.(for,against)煽动,鼓动;vt.搅动 | |
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48 investigations | |
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究 | |
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49 postscript | |
n.附言,又及;(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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50 blotting | |
吸墨水纸 | |
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51 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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52 blotted | |
涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干 | |
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53 betokened | |
v.预示,表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54 chic | |
n./adj.别致(的),时髦(的),讲究的 | |
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55 maliciously | |
adv.有敌意地 | |
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56 demurred | |
v.表示异议,反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57 agitating | |
搅动( agitate的现在分词 ); 激怒; 使焦虑不安; (尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而)激烈争论 | |
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58 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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59 deduction | |
n.减除,扣除,减除额;推论,推理,演绎 | |
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60 psychology | |
n.心理,心理学,心理状态 | |
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61 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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62 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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63 scoop | |
n.铲子,舀取,独家新闻;v.汲取,舀取,抢先登出 | |
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64 testimony | |
n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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65 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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66 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
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67 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
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68 jolting | |
adj.令人震惊的 | |
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69 automobiles | |
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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70 plied | |
v.使用(工具)( ply的过去式和过去分词 );经常供应(食物、饮料);固定往来;经营生意 | |
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71 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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72 sanguine | |
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的 | |
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73 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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74 presages | |
v.预示,预兆( presage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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75 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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76 trudging | |
vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的现在分词形式) | |
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77 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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78 chauffeur | |
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机;v.为…开车 | |
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79 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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80 simultaneously | |
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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81 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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82 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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